It is only fitting that the greatest figure in 20th-century popular music is the subject of this most wondrous box set. Across 24 discs, the majesty and unparalleled genius of Duke Ellington is on vivid display. Listening to the box from start to finish in chronological order, you discover a composer, bandleader, and pianist who consistently and daringly pushed his music ever forward. As fascinating as it is to hear his artistic progression as it unfolds, it is even more remarkable to digest these CDs out of order. During the course of 50 years, Ellington's creative wellspring gushed an amazing variety of music delivered in a multitude of different styles and settings; yet somehow, someway, it all sounds like Ellington. Whereas some artists find the blues idiom constricting, Duke saw it as a highly malleable and versatile foundation.The first seven CDs chronicle the maestro's Cotton Club days and his theatrical, visceral "jungle music," which was created as part of the club's African-themed stage shows and "tribal" dances. Even at this early stage, Ellington showed a tremendous ability to create expressive moods and keen imagery through his compositions as well as an uncanny understanding of his players' strengths. Six discs are dedicated to the early 1940s, when tenor sax player Ben Webster and bassist Jimmy Blanton elevated the band to new heights. The next three CDs cover the mid-1940s, when the Duke began experimenting with longer pieces. Another combines mid-1940s all-star jams with a full 1952 Seattle concert. All three of Ellington's Sacred Concerts follow, a bold, pioneering fusion of jazz and church, complete with choir and dance, that used the language of music to eloquently sermonize on the subjects of personal freedom, spirituality, and communication with God. The collection wraps up with four discs' worth of late-period magic, including the exotic and dramatic Far East Suite and an homage to recently departed Billy Strayhorn.
This stunning package also serves as a tribute to all of the superior musicians that found a home in the Ellington Orchestra. Special mention must be made of altoist Johnny Hodges, who first recorded with Ellington in 1928 and stayed with him (except for a brief respite in the 1950s) until his death in 1970. Throughout, his sublime tone and fertile imagination epitomize the beauty, inventiveness, and dignity that is the essence of jazz. Also of note are the many superb compositions and arrangements from Strayhorn, who managed to carve a vital niche for himself while remaining true to the sound of Ellingtonia
Disc 01
01. If You Can't Hold The Man You Love
02. Washington Wabble - Take 1
03. Washington Wabble - Take 2
04. Black And Tan Fantasy
05. Washington Wabble
06. Creole Love Call
07. Blues I Love To Sing - Take 1
08. Blues I Love To Sing - Take 2
09. Harlem River Quiver - Take 1
10. Harlem River Quiver - Take 2
11. Harlem River Quiver - Take 3
12. East St. Louis Toodle-o
13. Blue Bubbles - Take 1
14. Blue Bubbles - Take 2
15. Black Beauty
16. Jubilee Stomp
17. Got Everything But You
18. Santa Claus, Bring My Man Back
19. I Done Caught You Blues
20. The Mooche
Disc 02
01. I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Take1
02. No Papa No - Take1
03. No Papa No - Take 2
04. I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Take 2
05. Bandanna Babies
06. Diga Diga Do
07. I Must Have That Man
08. St. Louis Blues - Take 1
09. St. Louis Blues - Take 2
10. St. Louis Blues - Take 3
11. Flaming Youth - Take 1
12. Flaming Youth - Take 2
13. Saturday Night Function
14. High Life
15. Doin' The Voom Voom - Take 1
16. Doin' The Voom Voom - Take 2
17. Japanese Dream
18. Harlemania
Disc 03
01. The Dicty Glide - Take 1
02. The Dicty Glide - Take 2
03. Hot Feet
04. Sloppy Joe - Take 1
05. Sloppy Joe - Take 2
06. Stevedore Stomp
07. A Night At The Cotton Club, Part 1 Cotton Club Stomp Misty Mornin'
08. A Night At The Cotton Club, Part 2 Goin' To Town Untitled Interlude Freeze And Melt
09. Cotton Club Stomp
10. Misty Mornin'
11. Arabian Lover
12. Saratoga Swing
13. Mississippi
14. The Duke Steps Out
15. Haunted Nights
16. Swanee Shuffle
17. Breakfast Dance
18. Jazz Lips
19. March Of The Hoodlums
Disc 04
01. Double Check Stomp
02. My Gal Is Good For Nothing But Love
03. I Was Made To Love You
04. Sweet Dreams Of Love - Take 1
05. Sweet Dreams Of Love - Take 2
06. Jungle Nights In Harlem
07. Sweet Jazz O' Mine - Take 1
08. Sweet Jazz O' Mine - Take 2
09. Shout 'Em Aunt Tillie
10. Ring Dem Bells - Take 2
11. Ring Dem Bells - Take 3
12. Old Man Blues - Take 1
13. Old Man Blues - Take 2
14. Old Man Blues - Take 3
15. Three Little Words (previously unreleased)
16. Three Little Words
17. Ring Dem Bells
18. Old Man Blues - Take 4
19. Old Man Blues - Take 6
20. Hittin' The Bottle - Take 1
21. Hittin' The Bottle - Take 2
22. That Lindy Hop
Disc 05
01. You're Lucky To Me
02. Memories Of You
03. Nine Little Miles From Ten-Ten-Tennessee - Take 1
04. Nine Little Miles From Ten-Ten-Tennessee - Take 2
05. I'm So In Love With You - Take 1
06. I'm So In Love With You - Take 2
07. What Good Am I Without You (unauthorized)
08. Blue Again
09. When A Black Man's Blue (unauthorized)
10. Mood Indigo
11. What Good Am I Without You
12. When A Black Man's Blue
13. The River And Me
14. Keep A Song In Your Soul
15. Sam And Delilah
16. Rockin' In Rhythm - Take 1
17. Rockin' In Rhythm - Take 2
18. Creole Rhapsody, Part 1
19. Creole Rhapsody, Part 2 - Take 3
20. Creole Rhapsody, Part 2 - Take 2
Disc 06
01. Limehouse Blues
02. Echoes Of The Jungle
03. It's Glory
04. The Mystery Song
05. The Mystery Song (French RCA)
06. Mood Indigo,Hot And Bothered, Creole Love Call
07. Mood Indigo, Hot And Bothered, Creole Love Call (Stereo Version)
08. East St. Louis Toodle-o, Lot O' Fingers, Black And Tan Fantasy (Stereo Version)
09. Dinah
10. Bugle Call Rag
11. Maori
12. Rude Interlude - Take 1
13. Rude Interlude - Take 2
14. Dallas Doings - Take 1
15. Dallas Doings - Take 2
Disc 07
01. Dear Old Southland - Take 1
02. Dear Old Southland - Take 2
03. Daybreak Express - Take 1
04. Daybreak Express - Take 2
05. Delta Serenade - Take 1
06. Delta Serenade - Take 2
07. Stompy Jones
08. Solitude
09. Blue Feeling
10. Ebony Rhapsody
11. Cocktails For Two - Take 1
12. Cocktails For Two - Take 2
13. Live And Love Tonight
14. I Met My Waterloo
15. Troubled Waters - Take 1
16. Troubled Waters - Take 2
17. My Old Flame
Disc 08
01. You, You Darlin'
02. Jack The Bear
03. Ko-Ko - Take 1
04. Ko-Ko - Take 2
05. Morning Glory
06. So Far, So Good
07. Conga Brava
08. Concerto For Cootie
09. Me And You
10. Bojangles (unauthorized)
11. Cotton Tail
12. Never No Lament
13. Blue Goose (unauthorized)
14. Dusk - Take 1
15. Dusk - Take 2
16. Bojangles
17. A Portrait Of Bert Williams
18. Blue Goose
19. Harlem Air-Shaft
20. At A Dixie Roadside Diner
21. All Too Soon
22. Rumpus In Richmond
23. My Greatest Mistake
Disc 09
01. Sepia Panorama - Take 1
02. Sepia Panorama - Take 2
03. There Shall Be No Night
04. In A Mellotone
05. Five O'Clock Whistle
06. Warm Valley
07. Pitter Panther Patter - Take 1
08. Pitter Panther Patter - Take 2
09. Body And Soul - Take 1
10. Body And Soul - Take 2
11. Body And Soul - Take 3
12. Sophisticated Lady (French RCA)
13. Sophisticated Lady
14. Mr. J.B. Blues - Take 1
15. Mr. J.B. Blues - Take 2
16. The Flaming Sword - Take 1
17. The Flaming Sword - Take 2
18. The Flaming Sword - Take 3
19. Warm Valley - Take 2
20. Warm Valley - Take 3
21. Across The Track Blues
22. Across The Track Blues (French RCA)
23. Chloe (Song Of The Swamp)
Disc 10
01. I Never Felt This Way Before - Take 1
02. I Never Felt This Way Before - Take 2
03. Day Dream
04. Good Queen Bess
05. Good Queen Bess (French RCA)
06. That's the Blues, Old Man
07. Junior Hop - Take 1
08. Junior Hop - Take 2
09. Without a Song - Take 1
10. Without a Song - Take 2
11. My Sunday Gal
12. Mobile Bay - Take 1
13. Mobile Bay - Take 2
14. Linger Awhile - Take 1
15. Linger Awhile - Take 2
16. Charlie the Chulo - Take 2
17. Charlie the Chulo (breakdown)
18. Charlie the Chulo - Take 1
19. Lament for Javanette
20. Lament for Javanette - Take 1a
21. A Lull at Dawn (first unnumbered)
22. A Lull at Dawn (second unnumbered)
23. A Lull at Dawn - Take 1a
24. Ready Eddy - Take 1
Disc 11
01. Ready Eddy (breakdown)
02. Ready Eddy (false start)
03. Ready Eddy - Take 2
04. The Sidewalks Of New York
05. Flamingo
06. The Girl In My Dreams Tries To Look Like You - Take 1
07. The Girl In My Dreams Tries To Look Like You - Take 2
08. Take The 'A' Train
09. Jumpin' Punkins - Take 1
10. Jumpin' Punkins - Take 2
11. John Hardy's Wife
12. Blue Serge
13. After All
14. Dear Old Southland - Take 1
15. Dear Old Southland - Take 2
16. Solitude - Take 1
17. Solitude - Take 2
18. Bakiff
19. Are You Sticking - Take 1
20. Are You Sticking - Take 2
21. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'
22. The Giddybug Gallop
23. Chocolate Shake
Disc 12
01. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) - Take 1
02. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) - Take 2
03. Clementine
04. The Brown-skin Girl (In The Calico Gown)
05. Jump For Joy - Take 1
06. Jump For Joy - Take 2
07. Moon Over Cuba
08. Some Saturday
09. Subtle Slough
10. Menelik - The Lion Of Judah - Take 1
11. Menelik - The Lion Of Judah - Take 2
12. Poor Bubber
13. Squaty Roo
14. Passion Flower
15. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
16. Goin' Out The Back Way
17. Five O'Clock Drag
18. Rocks In My Bed
19. Bli-Blip
20. Chelsea Bridge
21. Brown Suede
22. Noir Bleu
23. 'C' Blues
24. June
Disc 13
01. Raincheck
02. What Good Would It Do
03. I Don't Know What Kind Of Blues I Got - Take 1
04. I Don't Know What Kind Of Blues I Got - Take 2
05. Chelsea Bridge
06. Perdido - Take 1
07. Perdido - Take 2
08. The 'C' Jam Blues
09. Moon Mist - Take 1
10. Moon Mist - Take 2
11. What Am I Here For
12. I Don't Mind - Take 1
13. I Don't Mind - Take 2
14. Someone
15. My Little Brown Book
16. Main Stem
17. Johnny Come Lately
18. Hayfoot, Strawfoot - Take 1
19. Hayfoot, Strawfoot - Take 2
20. Sentimental Lady - Take 1
21. Sentimental Lady - Take 2
22. A Slip Of The Lip
23. Sherman Shuffle
Disc 14
01. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
02. I'm Beginning To See The Light - Take 1
03. I'm Beginning To See The Light - Take 2
04. Don't You Know I Care - Take 1
05. Don't You Know I Care - Take 2
06. I Didn't Know About You
07. Work Song
08. Come Sunday
09. The Blues
10. Three Dances
11. Carnegie Blues
12. Blue Cellophane
13. Mood To Be Wooed
14. (All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings
15. Kissing Bug
16. Everything But You
17. (Otto Make That) Riff Staccato
18. Prelude To A Kiss
19. Caravan
20. Black And Tan Fantasy
21. Mood Indigo
22. In A Sentimental Mood
Disc 15
01. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
02. Sophisticated Lady
03. Tonight I Shall Sleep (With A Smile On My Face)
04. The Minor Goes Muggin'
05. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart - Take 1
06. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart - Take 2
07. Solitude
08. Frankie And Johnny
09. Jumpin' Room Only
10. Black Beauty
11. Every Hour On The Hour
12. Balcony Serenade
13. Strange Feeling
14. Dancers In Love
15. Coloratura - Take 2
16. Coloratura - Take 1
17. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
18. Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do
19. Come To Baby, Do!
20. I'm Just A Lucky So-and-So
21. Long, Strong, And Consecutive
22. The Wonder Of You
23. Tonk
24. Drawing Room Blues
Disc 16
01. Rockabye River
02. Suddenly It Jumped
03. Transblucency
04. Just Squeeze Me
05. Gathering In A Clearing
06. You Don't Love Me No More
07. Pretty Woman
08. Hey, Baby
09. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
10. Blue Is The Night
11. Lover Man - Take 1
12. Lover Man - Take 2
13. Just You, Just Me
14. Beale Street Blues
15. Memphis Blues
16. St. Louis Blues
17. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
18. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance (With You)
19. Swamp Fire
20. Royal Garden Blues
21. Esquire Swank
22. Midriff
Disc 17
01. Long, Long Journey
02. The One That Got Away
03. Gone With The Wind
04. Metronome All-Out
05. Skin Deep
06. How Could You Do A Thing Like That to Me (Sultry Serenade)
07. Sophisticated Lady
08. Perdido
09. Caravan
10. Harlem Suite
11. The Hawk Talks
12. Ellington Medley
13. Jam With Sam
Disc 18
01. In The Beginning God
02. Tell Me It's The Truth
03. Come Sunday
04. The Lord's Prayer
05. Come Sunday (Hodges solo)
06. Will You Be There ,Ain't But The One
07. New World A-Comin'
08. David Danced (Before The Lord With All His Might)
09. Ninety Nine Percent
10. My Mother, My Father And Love
11. New World A-Comin'
12. A Christmas Surprise (first performance)
13. A Christmas Surprise (second performance)
Disc 19
01. Praise God
02. Supreme Being
03. Heaven
04. Something 'Bout Believing
05. Almighty God
06. The Shepard
07. It's Freedom
08. Meditation
09. The Biggest And Busiest Intersection
10. T.G.T.T.
11. Don't Get Down On Your Knees To Pray Until You Have Forgiven Everyone
Disc 20
01. Father Forgive
02. Praise God And Dance
03. Introduction by Sir Colin Crowe
04. Introduction By Duke Ellington
05. The Lord's Prayer,My Love
06. Is God A Three-Letter Word For Love (Part I)
07. Is God A Three-Letter Word For Love (Part II)
08. The Brotherhood
09. Hallelujah
10. Every Man Prays In His Own Language
11. Ain't Nobody Nowhere Nothin' Without God
12. The Majesty Of God
Disc 21
01. Tourist Point of View - Take 7
02. Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah) - Take 12
03. Isfahan - Take 1
04. Depk
05. Mount Harissa
06. Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)
07. Agra
08. Amad - Take 3
09. Ad Lib on Nippon
10. Tourist Point of View - Take 5
11. Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah) - Take 8
12. Isfahan - Take 2
13. Amad - Take 5
Disc 22
01. Take The 'A' Train
02. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
03. Perdido
04. Mood Indigo
05. Black And Tan Fantasy
06. The Twitch
07. Solitude
08. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
09. The Mooche
10. Sophisticated Lady
11. Creole Love Call
12. Caravan
13. Wings & Things
14. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
15. House Of Lords
16. The Second Portrait Of The Lion
17. Take The 'A' Train
18. Caravan
19. Mood Indigo
20. Love Scene
Disc 23
01. The Mooche
02. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
03. I'm Beginning To See The Light
04. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
05. Sophisticated Lady
06. Timon Of Athens March
07. Solitude
08. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
09. Satin Doll
10. Single Petal Of A Rose
11. Snibor
12. Boo-Dah
13. Blood Count
14. U.M.M.G.
15. Charpoy
16. After All
17. The Initmacy Of The Blues
18. Raincheck - Take 6
19. Raincheck - Take 4
20. Day Dream
21. Rock Skippin' At The Blue Note
Disc 24
01. All Day Long
02. Lotus Blossom - Take 1
03. Lotus Blossom
04. Smada - Take 3
05. Smada - Take 4
06. Midriff
07. My Little Brown Book
08. Acht O'Clock Rock
09. The Piano Player
10. Creole Love Call
11. Don't You Know I Care
12. I Can't Get Started With You
13. New York, New York
14. Pitter Panther Patter
15. How High The Moon
16. Basin Street Blues
17. Tiger Rag
18. Soso
19. Meditation
20. Mecuria, The Lion
